Adjustable blowpipe assembly



June 14, 1966 c. R. Of NElLL 3,255,734

ADJUSTABLE BLOWPIPE ASSEMBLY Filed 001;. 15, 1965 ln/e/ 22 L 20 /a INVENTOR. CHARLES R. O'NEILL Attorney United States Patent 3,255,734 ADJUSTABLE BLOWPIPE ASSEMBLY Charles R. ONeill, 267 Taft St., Gary, Ind.

Filed Oct. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 316,314

9 Claims. (Cl. 122-66) This invention relates to an adjustable blowpipe assembly for blast furnaces. I-n iron producing blast furnaces a bustle pipe surrounds the furnace and air from the bustle pipe is introduced into the furnace at a number of locations around the periphery .thereof through blowpipes and tuyeres. A typical installation is shown in Ledbetter Patent No. 1,849,718, dated March 15, 1932. In asingle plant there may be several blast furnaces each requiring a different length of blowpipe. Even in a single furnace the distance between the tuyere and the tuyere elbow may vary. Hence, it is difficult to place the blowpipe in position in some instances. If the variation in length is too great it even becomes necessary to obtain a blowpipe of a different length. Even when this is not necessary the tuyere elbow has to be forced out from the furnace a greater distance than usual in order to permit insertion of the blowpipe. This results in hazardous working conditions when assembling or replacing a blowpipe. For the above reasons it is necessary to stock blowpipes of a number of different lengths. This, of course, increases the operating expenses.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a blowp-ipe assembly which can compensate for variable distances between the tuyere and tuyere elbow.

Another object is to provide such a blowpipe assembly in which a blowpi-pe of a single length may be used in blowpipe assemblies of a number of different lengths.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the blowpipe assembly of my invention installed in a blast furnace;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of one member of the assembly of FIGURE 1; v

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of another member of the assembly of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a view taken on the line VV of FIGURE 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 indicates the wall of a blast furnace having the usual tuyere cooler 4 therein for supporting a tuyere 6 which has a spherical concave seats. A tuyere elbow 10 of standard construction is spaced from the tuyere 6 and has a flange 12 around its outlet end and a downwardly extending web 14. According to my invention I provide a face plate 16 having a hollow body member 18 providing a cooling chamber 20. Cooling water is provided into the cooling chamber 20 through an inlet 22 and passes therefrom through an outlet 24. The face plate 16 is secured to the elbow 10 by means of bolts 26 passing through aligned holes in flange 12 and flange 28 extending outwardly from the body member 18. The face plate 16 has a central opening 30 therethrough and an inwardly extending flange 32 at the entry end of the opening 30.

A tubular spacer 34 is mounted within the central opening 30 and has a spherical concave seat 36 in its exit end and three holes 38 spaced 120 apart about the periphery of its inlet end. A standard blowpipe 40 has its spherical convex ends 42 and 44 received in the concave seats 8 and 36. Three rods 46 are received in the holes 3 8 and bear against the flange 32. Insulating refractory 48 is provided as a lining for the blowfor the face plate 16. A bolt 52 passes through an opening in the flange 14 and is attached to a bracket 54 secured to shell 56 of the blast furnace. A spring 58 surrounding the bolt 52 and having one end bearing against the flange 14 and the other end against a nut 60 urges the elbow 10 toward the tuyere 6.

When assembling a blowpipe the face plate 16 is secured to the elbow 10 and the distance between the elbow 10 and the tuyere 6 measured. Dowel rods 46 of the required length are then cut and inserted in the holes 38. If desired the dowels may be tack welded in place. The tubular spacer 34 is then inserted in the opening 30 and the blow pipe 40 then positioned in the usual manner. The compressive force created by the spring loaded bolt 52 holds the entire blowpipe assembly together. If the distance between the elbow 10 and tuyere 6 varies a great amount for different furnaces different lengths of face plates may be used and only one length of blowpipe need then be provided.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

.1. In apparatus for providing air to a blast furnace including a tuyere having a spherical concave seat, an elbow spaced from said tuyere on the entry side thereof, and a blowpipe assembly for delivering air from said elbow to said tuyere; the improvement of an adjustable bl'owpipe assembly comprising a face plate, means attaching said face plate to said elbow, said face plate having a central opening therethrough and a flange extending inwardly into said central opening at the end adjacent said elbow, a tubular spacer mounted within said central opening, said spacer having a spherical concave seat in the end toward said tuyere and a plurality of holes spaced about the periphery of the inlet end thereof, a blowpipe having spherical convex ends received in said spherical seats, and a plurality of elongated members each having one end in one of said plurality of holes and the other end bearing against said flange.

2. In apparatus according to claim 1 in which said face plate includes a hollow body member providing a cooling chamber and means for providing cooling water to said cooling chamber.

3. In apparatus according to claim 2 in which said blowpipe and said face plate are lined with a refractory insulating material.

4. In apparatus for providing air to a blast furnace including a tuyere, an elbow spaced from said tuyere on the entry side thereof, and a blowpipe assembly for delivering air from said elbow to said tuyere; the improvement of an adjustable blowpipe assembly comprising a face plate, means attaching said face plate to said elbow, said face plate having a central opening therethrough and a--flange extending inwardly into said central opening at the end adjacent said elbow, a tubular spacer mounted within said central opening, said spacer having a plurality of holes spaced about the periphery of the inlet end thereof, a plurality of elongate-d members each having one end in one of said plurality of holes and the other end bearing against said flange, and a blovvpipe extending between said spacer and said tuyere.

5. In apparatus according to claim 4 in which said face plate includes a hollow body member providing a cooling chamber and means for providing cooling water to said cooling chamber.

6. In apparatus according to claim 5 in which said blowpipe and said face plate are lined with a refractory insulating material.

7. In apparatus for providing air to a blast furnace including a tuyere, an elbow spaced from said tuyere 0n the entry side thereof, and a blowpipe assembly for delivering air from said elbow to said tuye're; the improvement of an adjustable blowpipe assembly comprising a face plate, means attaching said face plate to said elbow, said face plate having an elongated central open ing theretihrough and a flange extending inwardly into said central opening at the end adjacent said elbow, a

tubular spacer slidably mounted within said central openi-ng, means extending between said flange and spacer to position said spacer in the desired axial position, and a blowpipe extending between said spacer and said tuyere. 8. In apparatus according to claim 7 in which said spacer and blowpipe have matching spherical abutting ends.

9. In apparatus for providing air to a blast furnace including a tuyere, an elbow spaced from said tuyere on 20 the entry side thereof, and a blowpipe assembly for delivering air from said elbow to said tuyere; the improve- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1878 Witherbee 110182.5 7/1937 Gerwig 266-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 858,496 11/1940 France.

KENNETH W. SPRAGUE, Primary Examiner.

PERCY L. PATRICK, EDWARD 1. MICHAEL, FRED- ERICK L. MATTESO'N, JR., D. G. BLACKHURST,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AIR TO A BLAST FURNACE INCLUDING A TUYERE HAVING A SPHERICAL CONCAVE SEAT, AN ELBOW SPACED FROM SAID TUYERE ON THE ENTRY SIDE THEREOF, AND A BLOWPIPE ASSEMBLY FOR DELIVERING AIR FROM SAID ELBOW TO SAID TUYERE; THE IMPROVEMENT OF AN ADJUSTABLE BLOWPIPE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FACE PLATE, MEANS ATTACHING SAID FACE PLATE TO SAID ELBOW, SAID FACE PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THERETHROUGH AND A FLANGE EXTENDING INWARDLY INTO SAID CENTRAL OPENING AT THE END ADJACENT SAID ELBOW, A TUBULAR SPACER MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CENTRAL OPENING, SAID SPACER HAVING A SHPERICAL CONCAVE SEAT IN THE END TOWARD SAID TUYERE AND A PLURALITY OF HOLES SPACED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE INLET END THEROF, A BLOWPIPE HAVING SPHERICAL CONVEX ENDS RECEIVED IN SAID SPHERICAL SEATS, AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED MEMBERS EACH HAVING ONE END IN ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF HOLES AND THE OTHER END BEARING AGAINST SAID FLANGE. 